‘The Three Musketeers’ by Alexandre Dumas

Everybody knows the story of The Three Musketeers and their friend D’Artagnan, right? Well, if you’re like me and you were basing your knowledge upon the various screen adaptations of the story, then you may be amazed by how much of the story – and the characters – that you don’t know. D’Artagnan, a young man from the Gascony area of France, who goes to Paris with the aim of joining the King’s Musketeers. After a few initial misunderstandings, he becomes firm friends with the melancholy Athos, the rambunctious Porthos, and the foppish Aramis. The book follows their adventures as they become embroiled in trying to stop the evil machinations of Cardinal Richelieu, who is determined to bring down Queen Anne, wife of King Louis XIII.

The book was a delightful and action packed adventure, full of humour, fighting and romance. I was surprised that there were chunks of the storyline that didn’t actually feature D’Artagnan or the musketeers, and also by the fact that, unlike the screen adaptations, the four servants of the main characters featured almost as heavily as the main characters themselves, and were very instrumental in the musketeers’ plans and actions.

The plot moves on very quickly, and there are LOTS of twists and surprises, but despite this, Dumas still found time to establish each main character’s personality. It’s fair to say that at times they act in a less than gentlemanly manner, but despite this, I still found myself regarding each character with affection. It is also, in parts, a very funny story (there is one particular scene where D’Artagnan visits Aramis, who is constantly planning to leave the musketeers to become a man of the cloth, and finds him in consultation with a curate and Jesuit superior, which had me laughing out loud all the way through).

The seductive but evil Lady de Winter, and Cardinal Richelieu are a substantial part of the story, playing the two main villains, with ‘MiLady’ always trying, and often succeeding to stay one step ahead of the musketeers who seek to bring her down.

Overall, this is a hugely entertaining romp through Paris, and I believe that everybody should read it at least once. For me, it’s a keeper, and one I intend to re-read at some point.